Comanche Nation Strengthens Tribal Families with “New” Building and “New” Program

From: Comanche Nation News, March 2009: Vol. 9, Ed. 3

By: Jessica Dean/News Staff

“What shall we call the building?” Tribal Administrator Johnny Wauqua asked Deborah Yates, Comanche Nation Child Support Director, last fall. He was referring to the newly renovated building located at 1921 East Gore Boulevard.

Mission Statement: Comanche Nation Child Support Services (CNCSP) promotes responsible parenting so that each child has the opportunity for self –sufficiency and self-respect that honors family, community and cultural traditions.

About a year ago the Comanche Nation acquired and began renovation on the old Retired Personnel building on East Gore next to the Comanche Business Center building. It began as a dream and it currently houses three tribal programs; CNCSP, the Indian Child Welfare Program and the Children’s Court Staff, all three programs are committed to providing quality services to Comanche families.

The waiting room is being furnished with comfortable furniture, a large flat-screen TV, a children’s play area and interview rooms for cline confidentiality and safeguard personal information.

All Comanche citizens are welcome to drop by and visit the new building during regular work hours. “We hope to have a grand opening soon,” but at press time a date has not been set, said Yates.

The CNCSP staff strongly encourages anyone who has an existing case with either Chickasaw Child Support Services or Oklahoma Child Support Services through Great Plains or any other state or tribal child support office  - to contact CNCS as soon as possible. They are currently in the process of transferring these cases to Comanche jurisdiction.

They can be contacted at (580) 357 – 3699 locally, 1 – 877 – 357 – 2627 (CNCS) is their toll free number.

CNCSP is the result of a long-standing commitment by the Comanche Nation to its youngest constituents, the children. There was the initial grant application in 20065 to the Office of Child Support Enforcement for a two-year planning grant. Next the research focused on how child support could benefit Comanche citizens, and there was a lot of writing, planning and collaborating.

The agencies’ authority was approved by CBC resolution in April of 2008 and written into the Comanche Children and Families Relations Codes. The completed plan was submitted in May 2008, and approved October 27, 2008.

What does this mean? Comanche citizens may be assured that CNCSP provides the full range of comprehensive services that any state child support enforcement agency might provide. They establish paternity and child support orders, modify and enforce orders and locate absent parents when necessary.

Previously the Chickasaw Nation or Oklahoma Child Support Services provided child support services to Comanche citizens and others within the tribal jurisdiction. CNCSP is presently transferring all these cases into our program. They meet frequently with Great Plains and Chickasaw Child Support to complete case information and ensure a smooth transition for families.

CNCSP has several unique program characteristics. In-kind payments for child support may be allowed. That means if a non-custodial parent can provide firewood, (beadwork, car repair, etc.) and the custodial parent needs it for the children and agrees to the in-kind payment, AND a dollar amount can be assigned, then it will be counted toward child support.

Tribal child support is authorized by the federal government to determine their own distribution priority so they can distribute more child support money directly to the families, then to state-owed balances or arrearages.

CNCSP primarily uses an administrative process and two staff members are trained in mediation. This approach provides each party the opportunity to meet with our trained staff, provide their financial information, and ask questions to understand how their specific child support is calculated. Oftentimes court appearances may be avoided. If individuals prefer a court hearing then they will appear before the Children’s Court Judge Rita Coosewoon and Judge Cornelia Karty.

However, we also have the enforcement power that the states have; CNCSP may put a “dead beat parent” (or “non-compliant”) in jail if they defy a court order and are found in contempt.

They meet frequently with Great Plains and Chickasaw Child Support to complete case information and ensure a smooth transition for families.

Nationally there are 33 comprehensive Tribal child support programs; there are at least nine more that are in the planning phase. The 2008 reports re in and tribal child support enforcement programs have thus far collected 60 million ($60,000,000) dollars for Indian children.

There are eight Tribal Child Support Enforcement programs in Oklahoma: Chickasaw, Cherokee, Osage, Muscogee Creek, Kaw, Modoc and Comanche.